Focusing on producing great content will help drive up your search engine ranking.

By Marcus Jensen

Today, most people exploit the convenience of relevant information and favorite products being only a few clicks away. At the same time, small businesses are investing time and resources to ensure that visitors are driven to social media accounts and website pages. The force behind these attempts is content marketing. Executing content marketing on a shoestring budget, however, gives small business owners many headaches. They already have enough on their plate, but as you are about to find out, this type of marketing must not become victim of lack of will or resources.

Make the right noises

Small businesses compete with a great deal of online noise. The only way to stand out in this bustling environment is to craft marketing messages using the content that people want to see. This approach encompasses the online habits that are already present on digital avenues and feels much less intrusive than ads.

When you are providing handy information instead of pitching sales, people are more inclined to listen. Therefore, content marketing is a swell opportunity for small businesses to jumpstart marketing activities.

This project requires you to create consistent and quality content over the long haul. Consumers are finding ways to cut through the overwhelming clutter and gatekeepers like Google are making this mission a top priority. Search engine algorithms are updated every now and then to provide the best possible user experience. As a result, generating fresh, organic content is the best way to make headway in search engine rankings and direct more Internet traffic to your pages. Visitors come mostly from social media and search engines, making these them paramount to the business success.

Creative juices

Your website is the first impression for visitors, so it needs to be well designed, easy to navigate, and filled with appealing, sharable content. This includes everything from how-tos and viral videos to e-books and comparison guides. People like to see facts, lists and stats. They want to read stories they can relate to and find solutions to their problems. This encourages them to follow the company on social media or make an online purchase. Decisions like the latter are not spur-of-the-moment whims as much as they are small journeys with many twists and turns.

Of course, coming up with creative ideas constantly is tough. One must assemble a content calendar, research the target audience, stay in tune with emerging trends, and show consistency. On a brighter note, appropriate content can be crafted in-house or outsourced to agencies.

The playing field is leveled and globally accessible, meaning small businesses can reach out and find support all over the world. For example, a startup from France can for example partner up with an SEO agency in New York that offers services worldwide.

Reaping benefits

Stellar content does miracles for spreading brand awareness and becoming a top-of-the-mind brand for online searchers. This implies that content marketing is a potent tool for enhancing other aspect of online marketing strategies such as pay-per-click advertising, social media presence, banner ads, and SEO. These tactics do not work that well when they are not accompanied by high-quality content to spark attention and pull people in. An ad does not make people talk about it or share it with friends on Facebook, does it?

So, it is educating and entertaining the community that gives you an edge over the competition. Turn your emails into blog posts, PowerPoint presentations into compelling infographics, and product descriptions into informative copy. Demonstrate expertise in your niche, and make your small business become a trusted source of information. This is all much easier with a quality blog, which enhances your online presence and attracts new visitors. As you can see, there are many moving parts of the content marketing machinery, but once it is set into motion, it paves your way to business greatness.

Hot stuff

Content marketing is a highly effective and low-cost tool that allows entrepreneurs to improve their chances of success. What you need is a steady stream of valuable information and engaging posts. Give people a reason to click on your piece of digital real estate and push them towards a purchase decision. Consistency and commitment are the key ingredients in the content marketing mix that is best served hot. Build up a head of steam and do not run out of it early in the process.

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Marcus Jensen is an Australian IT support professional. He’s running his own business, working with companies that outsource their IT maintenance. He often writes about technology, business and marketing and is a regular contributor on several sites.